Zara

Asshole I muttered confidently. At that time me and Nova was at same page.

"Thank you!" I said annoyingly and left his office with a satisfied heart but wet pants.

Alpha Kane still hadn’t remembered the kiss he’d given me in his office. No lingering glances or sly looks when we were alone, just his previous aloofness.

Deciphering him was even more difficult than understanding string theory.

But, putting his thoughts on the back burner, I went shopping. I want to reduce my stress a little due to shopping.

Kaysir, as usual, remained my shadow and became my self-appointed porter. Although I insisted on carrying my own bags, he wouldn’t let me. I am feeling awkward why he was carrying my bag.

As I was leaving the antique jewelry store, a man in a black hoodie with a cap pulled low over his face deliberately bumped into me. It was werewolf I smelled him.

He didn’t hurt me, as it was only a light touch, but Kaysir quickly scolded him, rushing forward to make sure I wasn’t hurt.

"Watch where you’re going?"

The man quickly muttered an apology and ran in the opposite direction.

"Are you okay, Miss Zara? Did he hurt you?" he immediately asked with deep concern, holding my shopping bags in his hands.

"It was just a touch, everything’s fine. Let’s go home."

We left the mall, and Kaysir drove me home.

We arrived at my apartment. As I reached into my purse, something wet touched my fingers, and I wondered what I’d put there.

Maybe my lotion bottle had spilled? But it looked like something with feathers. I pulled it out and immediately dropped it on the floor, screaming loudly. My legs jerked back in horror.

Kaysir was right behind me and rushed forward to see what had made me scream like crazy.

It was most likely a dead lentil; its eyes had been gouged out, and its head, beak, and feathers were covered in crimson blood.

"Where did this come from?" he asked, setting my bags down and carefully picking up the dead bird.

"From my purse," I whispered, staring at the bird with wide eyes, and something caught my attention.

There was something carved into the poor bird. Keysir tried to cover it with his hands, but I caught a glimpse.

"YOU’RE NEXT."

What? This felt like another threat, and my thoughts returned to the man who had bumped into me at the mall.

Did he slip that poor bird into my bag?

Since security had been increased around the office, it seemed he couldn’t slip past anymore, so he chose this method.

"Miss Zara, I need to escort you to the apartment and then inform you."

All traces of the warm smile that had always been on Keysir’s face vanished as he took the keys from my bag and unlocked the door, letting me in.

Fear gripped me like liquid ice, paralyzing my senses and mind.

’Who wants us dead?’ Nova asked me.

’Was it just a threat, or had someone been planning all this?’ I console Nova.

Like a robot, I walked to the sink and washed my hands under hot water and liquid soap.

My hands shook violently as I washed the blood off them.

I quietly settled down on the lounge chair and pulled my legs up to my chest. Kasir carefully checked my bag, making sure there was no note or anything else, and kept asking if I was okay.

I could only nod, too shocked to speak.

’Was the red bird chosen because of our red hair?’ Nova rolled her eyes.

’Was the bird supposed to represent me?’ I shocked.

’Could it be someone we knew?’ Nova asked too much questions.

’Could it be Marcus?’ A million questions bombarded me as I covered my mouth with my hands and tried not to cry.

Kaysir was calling in the background. I knew it must be Alpha Kane, since I hadn’t called the police.

Then he brought me a glass of water.

"Please! Drink this, everything will be fine. We’ll catch this man, whoever he is."

Thanking him, I took a few sips and tried not to cry. I felt desperately alone and unused to such situations. My family had always been there when I needed them, but this was very dangerous, very difficult for me.

I sat I stood motionless, wondering over and over who could be trying to hurt me, but nothing came to mind.

"Could it be Marcus?" a voice came from the depths of my mind. "He’s the only one who calls you by your bird name."

An imaginary bird.

A reasonable person would immediately believe that a masked man could be stalking me and sending threats.

But my heart refused to believe it was him. Besides, the one who bumped into me at the mall was thinner and shorter than Marcus.

"He could have hired someone." Another thought flashed through my mind, and I grabbed my head in my hands and shook it.

No, he was my refuge. He wouldn’t hurt me. If he wanted, he would have plenty of opportunities.

"Maybe he enjoys toying with his victims." My anxious thoughts kept returning to him, but my sixth sense refused to consider him guilty.

There were no fingerprints on the note, and I was sure they wouldn’t be found on this bird either.

Shaking off the turmoil in my head, I closed my eyes for a moment of peace when I heard Alpha Kane’s deeply concerned voice.

"Trouble!"

Is he here? Or am I imagining it, because I felt safe with him.

I turned my head toward the voice, and Alpha was standing right behind me. His stern face was now furrowed with deep wrinkles, reflecting the meticulous care that remained etched in his features.

Without thinking, I jumped up and ran toward him. His arms opened to receive me, and I threw myself into them, hugging him as if he were my lifeline.

I pressed my face against his strong chest and burst into tears, and he just held me, slowly stroking my back, trying to comfort me, but not asking me to stop crying.